Big Bad Death
by Heather Sinclair
Summary: *Chapter 4 Up!*Time has stopped for Spike when he sacrifices himself to close the Hellmouth, and then Death comes calling in the flesh.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Big Bad Death

Author: Heather Sinclair

Email: Heather @buffysboudoir.com

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Canon Pairings for now

Spoilers: BTVS Season 7, Incarnations of Immortality Series, specifically "On a Pale Horse"

Summery: Time has stopped for Spike as he sacrifices himself to close the Hellmouth, and Death comes calling."

Disclaimer: This story, and any content relating to "Buffy the   
Vampire Slayer and IoI" are not authorized by Fox, Joss Weadon, Piers Anthony or Ballantine Books. I own my computer ... Can I have Buffy instead?

Author's notes: This story takes place in the Buffyverse. The only thing I am taking from the IOI are the Incarnations and Purgatory.

Chapter 1

Buffy made her way up the ladder and I knew this was it. The burning glow that was eating me alive vaguely felt rather good in a way. Soul-cleansin' if you will. Everything was much clearer now. I finally knew my purpose in this miserable life. Ta save the bleedin' world, of course. 

I felt the medallion eating into my chest and reach my heart seconds later.

"Bye, Buffy. Live well, luv." I whispered into the fire.

"Stop!"

The world stopped around me. The fires stopped burning. The cries of thousands of vampires being sent up in flames ceased, and a hand closed around my wrist. Well not a whole hand really. More of a boney hand. In fact it looked down right skeletal.

"Greetings William."

I followed the hand up the arm to the figure standing beside me all clad in a black robe with the hood drawn up over its face. It was then that the head turned up and I saw what was underneath. 

"Baaaaa! Bloody hell!" I tried to jump back but the thing's grip was like iron. 

"Cease your struggle, William. You will not escape Death."

I tried to straighten up and compose myself. "Issat who you are then? The Grim Reaper come to collect me himself?"

The skeletal head nodded in response. "Yes, William ... and no."

Silent surprise froze my face. "No?"

"I have come to offer you a chance to redeem yourself," his hollow voice echoed in the cavern.

I laughed aloud. "Redeem?" I raised my free hand and flung it around. "Case you hadn't noticed here, mate, but I'm tryin' to save the bloody freakin' world."

Death's head nodded again in recognition. "And that is why you are in balance. Thusly calling me to collect your soul."

"Balance? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"The good and evil of your soul is in almost perfect balance. Only in these extreme cases is Death summoned."

But I should have been good. "I haven't had my soul for the last hundred and twenty odd years. I only got it back a year ago and I've been doin' nothin' but good since." I thought for a second about the women I sucked dry while the First Evil was leading me around on a bloody leash. 

"Your decision to become a monster in the first place is what has burdened your soul. Accepting Drusilla's offer was your downfall that blackened your soul and doomed you to a life in Hell. Now, however, you sacrifice yourself for love of another and the world as a whole in turn bringing your soul into balance."

I nodded. It made perfect sense. Even with a soul I was still battling the dark half of my self every day.

I looked up at the skeletal head once more and took and unnecessary breath. "All right then. How's this work. I go to Heaven or Hell?"

"Neither." He paused for a second to make sure I heard him right. "I have made a bargain with Fate regarding the upcoming war against Evil. I will abdicate my office to a lower being and in return guarantee my place in heaven."

What? "What are you blathering on about?"

He reached into his robes and withdrew a knife, handing it to me. 

"You will take my robes, gloves, boots and watch. Everything else you'll is in the glove compartment." He looked upward. "Mortis is parked just outside of the school. Once you are inside you will be safe from harm."

I looked at the knife. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

He flung one side of his robes behind him and grabbed my knife hand pulling the point to his chest. "You must hurry. You will have only minutes before the Hellmouth is closed and the town destroyed."

My eyes widened as I realized what he had planned to do. "NO!"

He pulled my hand into him and the knife plunged into his chest. His body shuddered and he fell to the ground letting go of my hand along the way. 

"Do as he said! Gather the uniform! Hurry!" A voice called out from above. 

I looked up and a middle-aged woman was at the entrance to the Hellmouth screaming down at me. I didn't let my mind get in the way and followed her directions, stripping him of the boots and the cloak followed by the gloves and the watch.

"Hurry! Don't waste time putting them on!" She called down. 

I scrambled up the ladder and made a dash down the hall as I felt the ground giving way beneath me. A glance behind me revealed the Hellmouth collapsing in on itself and rapidly gaining ground on me. I felt the vampire in me assert itself an added a burst of speed up the stairs and down the hallway through the entrance to the school. 

I paused only for a moment to find the car he spoke about. A pale colored 1966 Mustang convertible with the license plate MORTIS sat only yards away from the entrance. After three large leaps I hopped over the trunk and landed square in the driver's side seat.

Without a moment wasted I punched the accelerator and tore off down he street. Good thing he left the bloody thing running. I looked back and gasped at the sight that befell me. The entire town was being sucked under, collapsing in upon itself. The car swerved and I brought my attention back to the road. When I did, I saw a circular button on the dash that was blinking incessantly. Thinking this was some kind of Nitrous system I punched it.

Was I ever more bloody wrong. 

My body slammed back into the seat and I screamed as the world around me turned into slashes of light. 

TBC 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

My grip eased on the steering wheel when I realized I wasn't really driving; the car was. Must have been some sort of automatic pilot or something. The button I hit earlier started blinking again and I hit it once more. The streaking lights slowed down until I could see the normal scenery again. 

"Quite a ride, wasn't it?"

I jumped but held myself together enough not to scream this time. It was the chickie that was at the top of the ladder back at the Hellmouth, and this time she was sitting right next to me in the passenger seat.

I tried my best to look really board. "Oh ... it's you, again."

"Greetings, Thanatos."

I reached into my jacket for my smokes. "Got the wrong guy, luv. Spike's the name."

I slid one out and tapped it on the dash.

The woman was kina cute for her age. I estimated about forty-five or so. She smiled knowingly. 

"The name goes with the title. Thanatos is the nom de plume of the office of Death. With the demise of your predecessor you have assumed that office."

I sighed. "Great."

She looked down at the clothing I threw on the floorboard. "That is your uniform. All the items contain magical properties that facilitate your job. The gloves and boots will protect you from the elements and enable you to walk on water, air, etcetera."

I looked back up at her, taking a long drag on the cigarette and blew it out. 

"The cloak, if used properly, will protect you and also issues forth the skeletal visage of Death. The jewelry and watch are explained in the handbook that your predecessor left behind." She opened the glove box and a small book fell out. She showed me and tossed it back in, closing the door behind.

"You will, of course, have a break -in period of thirty days before any additional sin or blessing is added to your soul. It's traditional for mistakes and such."

I nodded sarcastically with a smirk on my face. "Of course."

She bent over, picked up the watch and tossed it to me. 

"The watch will tell you when your next appointment is. Mortis will take you to the destination and you will retrieve your client's soul, weigh the balance of sin and assign it to its final destination."

I inhaled another breath of smoke and blew it out once again. "Destination?"

"Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory."

I blinked. "Right then." I flicked the butt of the cigarette out the window. "Done now?"

She looked at me weirdly. 

"Look here ..."

"Lachesis."

"Right ... Lachesis." I repeated. "Are you completely off your rocker?"

"No. I am Fate."

The car came to an abrupt stop. 

"Your first client awaits you, Death." She pointed to the watch face. "Your predecessor made a few refinements to the tools of the office. Just follow the outer ring pointer of your watch to your client."  


I looked down at the face of the watch and noticed the outer ring was pointing to the office building across the street. I turned back to her after looking up at the building. 

"Fine, I'll play your little game. Let's see what's waiting for me over there."

I opened the door.

"Don't forget the uniform," she reminded me. 

I gave her a glare and reached for the gloves she was handing me.

*******************

I walked in through the front doors and spotted the security desk, feet away. Time to try the outfit for size. The security guy was dressed in a grey and black uniform with a gold colored fake badge over the pocket. he noticed my approach and looked properly at me.

"Good evening sir."

I almost looked behind me to see who he was talking to. I don't think anyone has called me sir for at least a hundred years.

"Yeah, where's the dead guy I have to pick up?" I asked .

"Yes sir. It is a beautiful night."

Okay. "Right ... the dead body?" I urged.  


I looked down at my watch. The face was blinking red and I noticed, for the first time a green colored minute and second-hand, and they were running backward from two minutes and thirty seconds.

I ignored the security guy and followed the outer band pointer to a row of elevators. One was already open so I stepped inside. Before I chose a floor, the doors closed and the car started in motion. It stopped on the thirtieth floor and I got off, still following the pointer. 

It led me through a set of doors and into a single office occupied by a guy in a wrinkled business suit. He was swigging back from a bottle of Jack Daniels and had swallowed what looked to be a large amount of pills.

Whiskey sprayed across his desk when he finally saw me.

I looked at my watch again. The minute-hand was at twelve and the second-hand came even with it moments later. The watch face froze on red. I looked back up at the guy in the suit. He was grabbing his chest and trying real hard to breathe.

"Don't just stand there. Take his soul."  


I was getting used to being snuck up on at this point by the chit that called herself Fate.

I eyeballed her and strode up to the guy at the desk. I had no idea where his soul was. His head or his heart, so I made to plunge my hand in and look about. The second my hand passed through his chest I was slack-jawed. I didn't break the skin or anything. My hand just passed though like it wasn't even there.

I felt a cobweb type sticky feeling, grabbed a hold and pulled, and out it came. His body slumped over the desk right after.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Now put it in your sack and sort it when you get back to Mortis. I'll see you later tonight at your mansion." Fate said before her body quickly transformed into a small spider and disappeared up a thin strand of webbing. 

I stood there with the sticky webbing-like soul hanging off my hand. "The girl is bent."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw my watch flashing red again. "Oh, shut up."

I searched the pockets of the cloak until I found the sack that the chit was talking about, and stuffed the soul into it. I was seething mad. I hadn't ever had a job and now I'm stuck in this stupid excuse of an office. Death, me?

When I reached the car I hopped over the door and sat down. It took off again without any urging from me. I lit a cigarette and leaned over to retrieve the handbook and other trinkets from the glove box. there was an earring and a couple of jeweled stones plus a handful of mini parachutes and tiny weights with strings attached to each. 

I took the book and read the title. "Dealing the Death Card, by Death."

My eyebrow quirked up at this and I flipped through the first few pages. It was an account of a few things I already knew and some stuff the chit had told me. I turned the next page and it explained about how to weigh a soul.

I looked down on the console and flipped a switch to close the top on the car. Even as fast as we were going the top didn't have much of a problem shutting and fastening itself locked. I followed the instructions and retrieved the soul from the sack. It was still as sticky as I remembered and I used that to attach it to the inside of the windshield. 

The two jeweled stones were clear in color until I passed them over the webbing. Then one turned very black and the other shone bright white. The book said the stones were supposed to measure the amount of evil and blessing that appeared on one's soul. Whichever was more pronounced determined where the soul was destined. 

This particular soul glowed much too black . 

"Guess it's to Hell with you, mate."

I took one of the mini-weights, tied the attached string onto the webbing and tossed the thing out the window. There, done.

"Can I go home? I'm sure Buffy's wrought with grief by now."

I knew nobody was listening.

The watch said that I had another thirty minutes until I had to rip another soul out of some poor sap's body, so I leaned back and kept reading the manual. 

Apparently the watch did more than count backward and tell me where to find the next soul. I could stop time for about ten minutes if I was falling behind. I could stop the countdown for pick-ups, but that usually backed the rest of them up and I'd have loads of work to do if I let it go on too long. If I pushed the top button on the side and then pushed the bottom button I could call Chronos, whoever that was.

This was kinda ... neat. 

When the car came to a stop this time it was in front of a strip joint. I looked over and caught the marquee. "All Nude Girls"

"Now this is what I'm talking about! Finally something fun."

I hopped out of the car and made my way to the front of the line. The bouncer, out front, looked a little nervous. Did he see me how I was and not like the security guy did at the last pick-up?

"I thought we just had our health inspection?" He muttered as I passed. 

So they couldn't see me properly. Good enough. 

It was almost like coming home. The smoke filled room, and the smell of booze wafted through me like mother's homemade cookies. I walked through the crowd and found a nice front row chair that was currently being taken up by a kid that couldn't have been outta high school for ten minutes much less know what to do with a proper young lady that entertained the rest of these dregs.

I leaned in so he could see me real good. "Piss off."

He looked at me and was about to get in my face when something dawned in his little mind. He could see me, the real me, Death. He was out of the chair and making a dash for the lue. I guess I scared the shit out of him. 

I sat down and kicked my legs up on the table. The waitress dropped off a drink with my ordering. I tossed it back and smiled. It's good to be me.

The watch was still blinking away and the countdown was inching toward five minutes. I watched as the outer ring moved from left slowly to right and my client came into view. It was a dancer. 

She came out on stage dressed up in a leather halter top, chaps, and not much else 'cept for the high heels. She did her act and I watched as the timer dropped to under a minute. She looked perfectly healthy and hadn't even broken a sweat under the hot lights. So unless her brain explodes or somethin' I didn't know why I was here.

Well, that was until she turned and caught something in her eye. I twisted and saw what she was looking at. It was a guy in a trench-coat and dark hat and a really big gun that he was pulling out from his coat. 

She screamed and that led to a lot of other people screaming and general chaos. Well me being all soul havin' and all couldn't sit there and not do anything. The chit hit the stage floor and tried to scoot away. I stood and got in the guy's way. He fired twice and both shots hit me solid. 

I bent over in brief pain. Bullets couldn't do me much harm, but they hurt like hell going in. I looked back up and he had closed the distance between us. I pulled the cloak around me for protection. Two more slugs hit me, but the cloak repelled them easily enough. Some cloak! He was close enough now that I snapped my hand out and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him in the air. 

His face turned red from the immediate lack of air and his gun came up again. I turned and flipped him onto the stage, slamming him on the floor with as much strength I could without snapping his back.

When I did I heard the gun go off a fifth time for the night. then I caught the light of the watch freezing on red. Dammit!

My eyes swiveled and I saw the girl on the floor with a bullet-hole between her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I had the girl's soul sorted out by the time we reached the end of town, and it was Hell for her as well. The Deathwatch was blinking slowly; two hours to go until the next client had to picked up. 

"Now where does a fellow get some blood around here?" 

It was a city I wasn't familiar with and I was getting thirsty. A button on the dash, in the shape of an airplane, was blinking. Naturally I hit it. The car sprouted wings in an instant and we were airborne. Normally I would say something like 'I've to get me one of these,' but the problem was that I had one. I was Death!

After climbing into the clouds the terrain seemed to shift abruptly and I looked to see grass not too far down. Now I knew we hadn't gone back to earth. What was going on?

Before I actually had a chance to ask the question the plane changed. The wings withdrew and the body of the plane shrunk to that of a pale colored horse. Suddenly I was holding onto the saddle's horn for dear life. I wouldn't die, but a fall from this height would still hurt.

The horse landed and I hadn't fallen off. Life was good. I jumped down before the bloody thing had another chance to take off, and stood there staring at it.

"What are you?" I demanded.

The horse nickered at me. If I didn't know any better I would have sworn it was laughing. Its big head gestured behind me and I turned.

A large black mansion was off about a hundred or so feet. It wasn't hard to see in the dark. I'm surprised I hadn't seen it before we landed, but I was busy trying not to fall off a flying horse at the time. I turned back at the horse and gave it a dirty look then headed to the mansion.

The doorbell bonged loud and resolutely. Moments later the door opened and an English styled butler stood at the entrance. 

"Good evening, sir." He stepped aside and ushered me in. "May I take your cloak, sir?"

I looked him up and down. "You, bloody well, may not. I'm Death and I have come to do business ... I think."

The butler eyed me strangely. "Of course you are Death, sir. This is the Deathmansion, your home in Purgatory."

I looked around. "Oh, um ... right, then."

I shrugged off the cloak and he took it, along with the gloves. I kept the boots. Never was one for walking around barefoot.

"May I prepare and aperitif or a restoration spell for you, sir."

"A cuppa blood would do right nicely."

I could get used to this. I liked being waited on hand and foot. 

"If you would like to make yourself comfortable in the sitting room sir I will return presently."

He bowed slightly and made off for parts of the mansion unknown.

I found the sitting room in due course and the telly as well. The remote was on the side table by a recliner. I sat and turned it on. Maybe I could find a decent show and pass out for the rest of the night.

The news came on. 

"There was a change of office today in Purgatory. Death is dead, long live Death! In other news Death accosted a strip club patron and tried feebly to save one of his clients. I sure hope he doesn't continue this embarrassing behavior for long."

I flicked the T.V. off and tossed the remote to the side table. The butler returned with a tall mug.

"Your ... blood, sir."

I took the mug and upended it. After a moment and a few swigs I stopped, astonished. "That's human blood!"

The butler nodded. "Not quite, sir. The concoction is synthetic, however the taste should be similar."

It had been a while since I had tasted human blood and actually remembered it. I felt the effects coursing through my body, refreshing me. 

"You also have a visitor, sir. Lachesis is in the foyer."

I raised the mug. "Step to it then."

"Yes, sir."

The butler left and returned moments later with the chit from earlier. 

"Greetings, Death."

I sat the now empty mug on the side table. 

"You here to mess with my life a little more, eh?"

She shook her head. "I can no longer interfere with your office without your consent." 

"How's that?" I asked.

She spread her hands. "In your home and in your current office you cannot be balked. Each of the Incarnations is a power unto themselves."

"So I can do what I want then?" I surmised. 

She nodded, "In as much as it affects the final tally on your soul. Mistakes or misdeeds count as evil on your soul and when you leave the office your final destination will be chosen as Hell."

She paused for the drama.

"However, if you perform the duties of your office adequately. The balance will tilt toward heaven."

There was that. 

I looked down at my watch. The red blinking had increased but was still slow. I had almost an hour and a half until I had to be somewhere.

"No rest for the wicked, then?" 

She smiled. "You can, of course pause the countdown for recreation and sleep. But do not tarry needlessly."

Something came back to me. "The guy that ... killed himself."  


"You killed him."

"Fine, whatever. He said there was a war with Satan."

She cringed. "Do not say his name unless you want his watchful eye upon you."

Her hands parted as she looked down between her fingers. There was a dark strand of thread poised from finger to finger. 

"We are safe from intrusion. Your mansion gives you a certain leeway, but do not abuse its protection at your own peril."

I leaned back in the recliner. "Fine ... the war?" I prompted. 

"My skein has become tangled a short way into the future, and you seemed to be the only one that can undo the damage."

I laughed and stood up. "You messed with my life to help you with your sewing!"

Something happen just then that made me swallow. She changed. Her pale red hair had gone ghostly white and her white skin all dark. She aged tens of years and turned African-American right before my eyes.   
  
"Now see here you stubborn, stupid, vampire. The skein is the tapestry of life and every thread represents a single life." She produced a grey colored thread from between her fingers. "This is yours. See how things can change with a little manipulation?" 

She kinked up one side and my left leg lifted against my will. She produced a pair of very large scissors. "I am Atropos. Cutter of the threads of life! Do not balk me! Or would you perhaps like me to practice my art on you."  
  
She held the blades of the scissors open over my thread. So I did the only thing I could think of. I grabbed my mug and slung it at her.

I couldn't really do anything else with my leg stuck up in the air as it was.

"Jeeves!" 

The butler appeared instantly. "Sir!"

The mug had bounced off of some invisible shield and never came close to Atropos. 

I turned to the butler. "I need a weapon! Now!"

He seemed startled. "Your scythe sir, just summon it."

Before the words formed on my lips it appeared in my hands. A long crooked staff with a wicked curved blade extending at one end. Two handles allowed me its use.

The angry black woman disappeared and was replaced with a smiling young Asian girl that couldn't be more than twenty years old. 

"As you see, Thanatos. Incarnations cannot interfere with one another for long."


End file.
